


Light of My Life

by Mid_Nightmare



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: A/B/O, ABO dynamics, Age Difference, Alpha Clint Barton, Alpha James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Background Relationships, Barnes Clan, Beta Bruce Banner, Beta George Barnes, Beta Natasha Romanov, Beta Sam Wilson, Beta Tony Stark, Beta Wanda Maximoff, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, Claiming Bites, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanoff Relationship (Background), Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Implied Mpreg, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Rituals, Modern Bucky Barnes, Mpreg, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Not Canon Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, Omega Bucky Barnes, Omega Peter Parker, Omega Verse, Omega Winifred Barnes, Original Character(s), Pack Dynamics, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, References to Knotting, Romance, Scent Marking, Scenting, Soul Bond, Top Steve Rogers, True Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-04-12 11:12:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19130869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mid_Nightmare/pseuds/Mid_Nightmare
Summary: Steve had resigned himself to a life alone after waking in the twenty-first century. His first love has passed, and no one else has ever been able to get a reaction out of the alpha. That is until Steve visits a gym one night and finds himself enraptured by a snarky omega. But life has never been easy for Steve Rogers. Can he find and keep his happiness or will it all be stolen away?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> This is actually my first Stucky-focused story. I blame to cover several different movies throughout this story, but there will be changes along the way (the most obvious being the lack of the Winter Soldier). In case you haven't checked the tags, this is NOT CA: Winter Soldier or CA: Civil War compliant.  
> Please let me know any feedback that you have! I'd love to hear it. Also I'm sorry for the summary, I'm horrible at them, lol.  
> Much love <3

Steve sighed heavily as he walked into the gym, dropping his bag on the floor before beginning to rifle through it. As he stood and began wrapping bandages around his hands, he heard a small cut-off noise to his right.

 

Raising his eyes, Steve saw a small brunette man standing in shorts and a worn tee-shirt. The sight left him instantly confused. It seemed the other man was suffering from the same confusion. “Oh, sorry,” the man apologized softly, reaching for his hands and beginning to remove his gloves. “It’s usually empty at this time of night.”

 

Steve chuckled lightly. “Yeah, I don’t usually see people either,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. It was after midnight after all. Generally, Steve never saw a soul besides the poor man that had to sign him in. No, Steve had never run into another person, but admittedly, that is why he liked this gym. They were open all night, so even at the oddest of hours, he could go to the gym without any of the other Avengers disturbing him.

 

And even though Steve wanted nothing more than some alone time with a set of bags that he’d probably have to pay for later, Sarah Rogers would rise from the grave and smack him for being rude and not sharing the space. “Don’t let me stop you, though,” he quickly added.  The other man, who had already pulled off his right glove, paused.

 

“Oh…” the other said, looking up at Steve through bangs that were just slightly too long. Steve felt his voice get stuck in his throat, and he swallowed hard as those stormy blue eyes meet his. “Are you _sure_ you don’t mind?”

 

Clearing his throat, Steve attempted to smile at the other, feeling the corner of his lips twitch slightly. “Not at all,” he said before returning his attention to his hands. _Well, that was weird,_ he thought before shaking his head to rid the memory from his mind as he heard the soft sound of velcro pulling and pushing together while the brunette put his gloves back on.

 

“Thanks,” the man said, and Steve managed to look up just in time to see the shy but happy smile the other sent his way. “I really appreciate it.”

 

Steve nodded before falling silent. The other man seemed to pick up on the fact that Steve was done talking and turned to the punching bag next to him. Surrounded by the sound of hits against the soft leather, the clink of the chain as the bags swung, and the heavy scent of sweat, the pair seemed to forget about one another.

 

Occasionally Steve would catch a glimpse of the man beside him, watching as he’d strike the bag with all the skills of a fully trained soldier. The brunette was lithe and small for a man, but he moved quickly. His bag was often swinging between the hard punches and kicks he’d deliver from either side. He seemed so in focus that Steve couldn’t help but continue to look over.

 

Honestly, the guy would probably be a pretty decent spar partner.

 

Steve frowned at the thought. He didn’t spar with people outside of the Avengers, and he sometimes didn’t even spar with _them_. He was always afraid of hurting anyone unintentionally, especially when he was wound up from a mission as he was now. Besides, any man who went to the gym at midnight (he could speak from experience) likely wanted to be alone. He doubted that the other would be down for a spar.

 

“What? Never seen an omega that can fight?” the man asked suddenly, breaking Steve from his thoughts. Steve blushed at being caught staring before the other’s words dawned on him. He gave the other a confused look before taking a deep inhale (it was rude, he knew, but the other pretty much asked for it). At first, he didn’t understand what the other meant, but underneath the heavy smell of sweat and leather was a scent that was sweet: Omega.

 

Startled by the scent, he gave the other a confused look to which the man laughed. “You’re an omega?” Steve asked with a slight tilt of his head.

 

“You didn’t notice?” the man asked, reaching down to grab his water bottle and take a drink. “Figured that’s why you were starin’, but yeah.”

 

“Sorry,” Steve said immediately, his flush reaching higher and his ears turning pink. “I didn’t mean to stare.”

 

The man shrugged as if it was normal. “Happens.”

 

Steve shifted his weight on the balls of his feet before turning back to his bag. He noticed the other returning to facing his own bag out of the corner of his eye, but he only got a few punches in before stopping again when the blonde spoke. “I wasn’t starin’ ‘cause you’re an omega,” he said awkwardly, looking over at the man. “Thought you might... be good enough for a spar.”

 

The man blinked before suddenly smiling, his entire face lighting up. “You think so? Captain America thinks I’m good enough for a spar?” he asked.

 

Steve held in the sigh at the Captain America comment. He wasn’t surprised that the man knew who he was. It’s not like anyone really doesn’t what with his face plastered everywhere in the news, but it still made him a bit uncomfortable. He came to the gym at such a late hour for that reason after all: to avoid all the stares and questions, including from his teammates.

 

“Sorry,” the man said suddenly. Steve looked up in confusion, seeing the man looking down at his shoes. What did he have to be sorry for? “I didn’t mean to say that. Just… I mean, you’re just like everyone else, so I shouldn’t have said anything… I’m sorry.” Oh. That wasn’t what Steve had been expecting. Most people, truthfully, didn’t see much other than the poster boy that history and the media made him out to be. They saw the perfect soldier, the man out of time, Captain America. Steve Rogers was lost to the world. But having someone apologize for recognizing him as a man and not the shield? It was surprising, to say the least.

 

“It’s fine,” Steve said immediately but genuinely. “I, uh, thanks,” he added after a beat. A silence filled the space between them for a moment before Steve spoke again: “Still wanna spar?”

 

The brunette lit up again, smiling at him before nodding his head. His long bangs fell in his eyes again, and Steve couldn’t stop the smile pulling at his lips.

 

~*~

 

The brunette - Bucky as he had introduced himself - was, in fact, a pretty good spar partner. He was quick on his feet, and while his hits hadn’t hurt, and Steve was clearly not putting all his strength into the punches, Bucky was still able to keep up.

 

The omega did eventually tire though, and the pair wound up sprawling out on the mats, each panting softly. “You’re good,” Steve said between breaths, grinning at the other. It was a genuine smile, not like some of the ones he put on for cameras during interviews. It had been so long since he had a sparring partner that kept him on his toes. Not even Natasha accomplished that feat.

 

A faint pink shade crossed the man’s cheek, but Steve figured that was simply from the exertion. “Thanks,” he said shyly. “You’re even better in person.” As Steve went to reply, he watched as Bucky’s eyes widened before he immediately began speaking again. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

 

Steve merely chuckled before offering a smile to the other. “It’s alright, Buck, really.” Steve hadn’t noticed the nickname when it slipped past his lips, and he didn’t notice the darker pink on the man’s cheeks either.

 

Struggling to find something to say, Bucky scratched at the back of his neck. “I’m starving,” Steve suddenly said though. Bucky looked over at him and nodded, taking another drink from his water bottle. “You wanna go grab something?”

 

Bucky was fighting a blush again. Steve noticed this time, but he refused to dwell too hard on it. “Uh, sure,” Bucky said, his smile growing.

 

Steve grinned back at the other before pushing himself up. He offered his hand and easily hoisted Bucky up before letting go of the man’s hand once he was situated. Bucky straightened himself out and began gathering his things, and Steve followed his lead.

 

When the pair each had their bags packed, they began to head out of the gym before Bucky stopped. “Oh… Maybe I shouldn’t,” he mumbled, looking down at his shoes, “I need a shower.”

 

Steve laughed at that. “I need one too, or did you forget?” he teased, once again missing the pink tint that spread across Bucky’s cheeks due to the darkness of the street. “Don’t worry about it, Buck,” Steve continued, lightly bumping his shoulder against him. “But if you don’t want to, there’s no problem with that either.”

 

“No, I want to,” Bucky said possibly too quickly, but Steve didn’t comment; he only smiled at him.

 

“Great. I know the perfect place.”

 

~*~

 

“Where did you find this place?” Bucky asked before beginning to laugh, “This looks like it’s straight out of _Grease_.”

 

Steve shrugged his shoulders, faint smile turning up the corners of his lips. “You find a lot of interesting places when you sleeplessly stroll the city.”

 

It was an old diner that he found a few months ago now. The floor had black and white checkered tiles while the walls were painted a soft canary yellow. There were old metal signs in fading colors advertising all sorts of different items: milkshakes, burgers, hot dogs, one even was about coffee and kittens. The right wall was completely booths, all upholstered shiny red leather and chrome frames. To the left, there was a massive L-shaped bar with stools identical to the booths. A few random chairs and tables filled the empty space in the middle.

 

Steve caught a glimpse of Bucky’s almost sad smile before being distracted by the waitress.

 

“Sit anywhere you’d like boys,” the woman said, her bright red lips pulled into a friendly smile.

 

Steve took a step to the side, gesturing for Bucky to pick. “You pick,” he said, grinning wider. Bucky grinned back before going directly to the booth wedged in the corner. Steve was only a few steps behind, taking the opposite side.

 

The waitress followed them over, setting down utensils wrapped in napkins as well a pair of menus. “Do you know what you’d like to drink?” she asked, looking between both men.

 

“Coffee,” Steve replied immediate, offering her a friendly smile. “You don’t have to bring cream or sugar, I like it black.” She nodded before turning her attention to Bucky.

 

“Do you have milkshakes?” he asked.

 

“We do,” the woman replied, chuckling at how eager and hopeful he sounded.

 

“Strawberry milkshake then for me please.”

 

She nodded before leaving them to look over the menu. Steve laughed softly. “A milkshake? At two in the morning?” he asked, shaking his head.

 

“Hey, you ordered coffee at two in the morning, I’m allowed to get a milkshake,” Bucky pointed out, a wide grin spread across his face.

 

“Okay, fair enough,” he conceded, picking up his menu.

 

They sat in silence, both busy reading the menu, but when Gina returned with a mug of hot coffee in one hand and a tall fountain shoppe filled to the brim with strawberry milkshake and topped with a generous amount of whipped cream, they both looked up.

 

“Thank you!” Bucky said happily, taking a swipe at the whipped cream with his finger and sucking off the sweet treat.

 

“Yes, thank you,” Steve agreed.

 

“You’re welcome, boys. Do you know what you’d like to order?” she asked, looking between them. When Steve and Bucky shared a look, the alpha inclined his head towards the woman, which Bucky took as a cue to start.

 

“Harvest omelet, please,” he said, closing the menu and holding it out for Gina. “And wheat toast.”

 

She nodded before turning to look at Steve, who quickly ordered his own omelet. With both orders written down, Gina took the menus and left them again. “You know, at least her uniform is better than the ones in _Grease_ ,” Bucky said thoughtfully.

 

Steve’s brows furrowed as he stared at the other. “ _Grease_? What’s that?”

 

Bucky stared, gobsmacked at Steve. “You don’t know _Grease_? Really?” The alpha shook his head before the omega finished. “It’s a cult-classic though. You’ve got to have heard of it.”

 

“Sorry, Buck,” Steve shrugged.

 

“It’s a movie set in the ‘50s. It’s all about teenage rebellion,” Bucky grinned.

 

“Well, I bet you know a thing or two about that.”

 

“Hey,” Bucky huffed at Steve’s teasing. “I’ll have you know that my rebellious phase is behind me.”

 

“Is it now?” Steve grinned, taking a swig of his coffee.

 

“Yeah, it is,” he nodded before taking the straw between his lips and taking a drink of his milkshake. “It’s my sisters’ turn now.”

 

“Sister?”

 

"Sisters, actually," Bucky corrected. "I have three. Evy and Elle are twins, and Becca’s the baby. Though I don’t know if I can call her the baby. She’s in the _difficult_ years,” Bucky sighed before shrugging.

 

“Got it,” Steve hummed, continuing to drink his coffee. “And it’s their turn now, why?”

 

“Because the twins are seventeen and Bec’s fifteen, so it’s just hormone overload.”

 

Steve nodded again, humming softly. “And what about you?”

 

“What about me?” Bucky asked, taking another scoop of whipped cream and eating it.

 

“You’ve passed out of the ‘hormone overload’ phase?” Steve felt a smile pulling at the corner of his lips again at the ridiculousness of it all.

 

Bucky laughed at that, and Steve’s smile grew. The sound was completely infectious. “Well, maybe not, but I’m certainly closer than they are,” he grinned, leaning forward on his elbows. “And you?” Bucky teased.

 

Steve chuckled at that. “Well, I certainly hope so. I am, what? Ninety-eight years old.”

 

That got a laugh out of Bucky. He threw his head back, and the sound of pure mirth and joy filled the space. Steve really wouldn’t mind hearing that again. “Oh, my god,” Bucky said between breaths, trying to keep the giggles at bay. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

 

“Expecting what?” Steve asked, honestly a bit curious at the answer.

 

“You, everything,” Bucky sighed. “I don’t know… On camera, you just seem so uptight and by the book. I wasn’t expecting this.” He explained, pointing helpfully at Steve.

 

Before Steve could answer, Gina was back, setting their omelets in front of them. “Here you go, boys,” she said, smiling at them both. Steve and Bucky each thanked her before she returned to the back.

 

They were quiet for a moment as they both dug into their food before Bucky groaned. “This is so good.”

 

Steve chuckled. “Spend more nights wandering the city alone and you’ll find a lot of good food,” he said before putting another forkful of omelette in his mouth.

 

“Do you often wander the streets of New York alone?” Bucky asked.

 

Steve shrugged. “Depends on the day really, but I do find it quite relaxing.”

 

Bucky hummed, buttering a piece of toast. “So what are you doing at a gym at midnight?” Steve asked, grinning as he took another bite of omelette.

 

“I could ask you the same question,” the omega teased, bringing forth a smile from the alpha. “But I try and go to the gym whenever I get the chance. But it’s almost the end of the semester, so it’s a lot busier during the day.”

 

Nodding, Steve paused in his eating. “Semester? You’re in school?”

 

“Yeah,” Bucky smiled, “I’m a sophomore at NYU.”

 

“NYU? Congratulations,” the alpha smiled.

 

He swore it was the light, but a faint pink hue covered Bucky’s cheeks. “Thanks.”

 

“What are you studying?”

 

“Chemical Engineering,” Bucky replied with a grin. “I… actually wanted to work for Stark.”

 

A laugh bubbled up from deep in Steve’s chest. “You don’t want to work for Tony, I’ll tell you that.”

 

Bucky smiled at the sound of the other’s happiness. “Oh, and why not?”

 

“Tony is,” Steve paused, trying to think of his words as Gina came by to top off his mug. “Thank you,” he told the waitress before returning is attention to Bucky. “Tony is hard to work with. Believe me.”

 

That got a chuckle out of Bucky. “I don’t have to work directly for him, but the technological advancements he’s made, and the areas he works in, that’s what I want to do. Think you could pull some strings for me?” he asked, tone light and teasing.

 

“Maybe,” Steve teased right back.

 

~*~

 

The rest of their meal was spent in easy conversation. Steve asked about Bucky’s schoolwork, and the omega returned by asking questions about the other places Steve has found in his late night adventures.

 

It was a very easy and comfortable exchange to the point it felt as though Steve had known Bucky all his life. Well, at least all of his life in this century. They had been talking and laughing for most of the evening, and it was exactly what Steve needed.

 

“I’m sorry about that comment I made earlier,” Bucky said as they stepped outside of the restaurant. Steve hummed questioningly, turning to look at the smaller male. Bucky was staring at his sneakers while fiddling with the strap to his gym bag. “You know… the comment about you not being what I expected.”

 

Steve sighed softly before moving his hand and giving Bucky’s shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t worry about it, Buck. Really.”

 

“But you’re jus-”

 

“I’m used to it,” Steve said, smiling down at the omega.

 

Bucky frowned up at the alpha. “That doesn’t mean it’s right, though.”

 

Steve chuckled lightly before nodding. “Very true. But it’s okay, I promise.” Bucky had a furrow between his brows when Steve looked back down at him, and the alpha had to swallow the desire to wipe it away. “I know you didn’t mean anything behind it, so don’t worry, alright?”

 

The omega still had a slight frown, but he nodded. “See you around?”

 

“Yeah, definitely. I’ll see you at the gym some time?”

 

“Of course. Bye, Steve.”

 

“Bye, Buck.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!  
> Here's chapter 2 of this story. I hope you enjoy it!  
> Much love <3

Steve growled as he entered his apartment. He was furious from his most recent mission; it was a complete and utter failure. They had rushed to a massive fire in a historical building in England, which was not a standard Avengers mission, but with numerous people still trapped inside the impenetrable blaze, they couldn’t  _ not _ intervene. 

 

They thought it would be an easy mission: run in and save the people trapped inside and get out, but of course, things went wrong. Things always go wrong.

 

While Steve was running through the floors looking for survivors, he had missed three small children that were tucked underneath a desk. He didn’t find them until several minutes later, and he only found them due to a portion of the ceiling falling and causing the little girl to scream.

 

By this point, the stairwell was engulfed in flames, and the building was falling apart around him. Naturally, Steve gathered the three terrified children, and with every other simpler option gone, he jumped out of the window. Tony managed to slow his fall before he hit the ground, but Steve was still furious.

 

All three children were rushed to the hospital due to smoke inhalation. They also were treated for shock as well as bumps and bruises; all things that could have been prevented if Steve had found them the first time. Seeing those scared little faces looking up at him from behind oxygen masks… it was still haunting him.

 

The alpha took a deep breath in through his nose before sighing heavily. He needed to relax, and he needed to get rid of the pent up frustration, so he went into his bedroom and changed out of his uniform which reeked of smoke and failure. Truthfully, Steve never wanted to even  _ look _ at the uniform again. It was merely a reminder of his mistakes, and those three little pups that had fallen into harm's way because of him.

 

He changed into a pair of sweats and a tank top before grabbing his gym bag off the floor. Heading for the elevator, he slung his bag over his shoulder and hit the down button. When he was inside, he hadn’t realized he hit the garage button instead of the gym until he arrived.

 

Truthfully, he was in a daze, working entirely on autopilot. He straddled the bike and started the engine, pulling out of his spot and heading out into the night. The cool night air helped to clear his thoughts, but he still needed to rid himself of his frustration.

 

“Stupid,” he growled under his breath when he realized where he was heading. His aggravation rose as he realized how ridiculous it was for him to go back to where he met Bucky. It’s been a few days since he met the omega, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t in his thoughts.

 

Truthfully, the omega wandered in whenever there was a lull throughout the day. If there was nothing keeping his mind occupied, then Bucky wandered in with his fiery determination and adorable laugh. He thought about milkshakes and kickboxing gloves, wavy brown hair and stormy blue eyes. He was just being ridiculous. 

 

He huffed as he pulled up to the building. “Might as well actually _do_ something,” he muttered sourly as he headed inside. Dropping his bag on the floor by the punching bags, Steve began to bandage his hands, fighting the wave of disappointment that arose at seeing the bags devoid of others.

 

“It’s your own fault,” he said to himself, chest deflating as he looked around the empty space. “If you wanted to see him, you should have asked for his number.” He sighed because really, he should have thought of that. He should be used to these new customs now, shouldn’t he? It's not like it was 1942 anymore.

 

His sour mood dropped to an even more bitter one as he turned to look at the bag before him. It was worn already, leather stretched taut and fraying at the top near the rope edges. It looked as though one hit, and it would break. Good thing he brought his wallet because he had a feeling he was going to be paying for some bags.

 

~*~

 

Unbeknownst to him, Steve’s sour mood was leaking into the air around him. The scent of alpha pheromones was saturating the air and making it impossible for anyone to get near him. There was also a pile of broken punching bags, their sand spilling onto the floor and creating a pool-like mess that added to the effect. 

 

Steve was in the middle of his fifth punching bag, the chains squeaking dangerously when someone bravely decided to break his bubble.

 

“Steve?” The mentioned male whipped around and looked at the omega, utterly surprised to see him. “Can I join you?” Bucky asked as a single eyebrow raised curiously. Steve broke into a nervous smile, and the bitter anger broke in a tidal wave of sweet relief, euphoria filling the alpha up. The omega smiled back when the alpha nodded, and he chuckled before setting his bag on the floor. “You wanna spar or keep doing what you’re doing?”

 

Steve looked over at where the omega’s eyes were, and he felt a blush rising as he caught sight of his mess. “I had a mission that was-”

 

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me.” Bucky's smile turned softer as he reached out and lightly patted the alpha’s arm. “Just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

 

The alpha nodded quickly, swallowing down the lump that rose in his throat to smile at the other once again. “I think I better just stick to the bags,” he said shyly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

 

“That’s fine. When you’re done, there’s a great little food truck not far from here if you wanna grab something to eat.” The faint buzz of happiness around the alpha nearly doubled, and Bucky fought his smile.

 

“I’d like that,” Steve replied.

 

~*~

 

“Wow, this is really good,” Steve said around a bite of fried chicken slathered in rich BBQ sauce.

 

Bucky hummed around his own bite of mac and cheese. “I told you so,” he said once he had swallowed. Steve only made an odd noise of confirmation around another mouthful of perfect fried and juicy chicken.

 

“We should come here more often,” Steve said after he swallowed this time.  _ Manners, Steven. Manners, _ a little voice that sounded just like his mother said. Too bad he was too busy minding his manners to think through exactly what he had just said. “Wha-What I meant was-”

 

“I know, Stevie. It’s okay,” Bucky chuckled. It was silent for a beat when Steve went to say something, only to be cut off by the omega. “So, do you want to talk about what had you upset?” he asked. If Steve didn’t know any better, then he’d have said he heard the concern in the omega’s voice. “If not, that’s okay too.”

 

The alpha stared at his meal before him. “I…” Instinct told him not to tell. It was complicated. Sure, what got him to the gym was the desire to hopefully see the omega, but he hadn’t lied when he said there was a mission. “There was a mission,” Steve started, frowning at his food.

 

“Venice, right?” Bucky asked. Steve raised his eyes to look curiously at the other. There was a pink hue across Bucky’s cheeks. “There was something on the news.”

 

Steve nodded, frown still in place. “Did they talk about how three kids almost died because of me?” he asked, a bitter laugh leaving his lips.

 

“They talked about how you  _ saved _ nearly a hundred people,” Bucky replied, voice gentle and yet firm at the same time. Steve looked towards him, saw those eyes lit and filled with determination.

 

“Yeah, well, I almost lost three.”

 

“ _ Almost _ ,” Bucky pressed, shifting closer to the alpha. “Listen to yourself, Steve, you  _ almost _ lost them. You still got them.”

 

“They’re in the hospital. If only I had seen them the first time...”

 

“Oh, come on,” Bucky huffed, causing Steve’s eyes to rise and meet the other’s. “You didn’t see them the first time, but you still managed to find them? That’s impressive. And not only did you find them, but you successfully got them out before anything fell or injured them too severely.”

 

Steve began to argue. “They’re still in the hospital-”

 

“They would have gone to the hospital no matter what because of the smoke,” Bucky argued, frowning at the alpha. “You found and saved those kids. You jumped out of a twelve story window to get them out!”

 

“But they’re in-”

 

“Steve, listen to me,” Bucky sighed, reaching out and grabbing the alpha’s hand. Their eyes met, and Steve was shocked to see the conviction shining brightly in those beautiful eyes. “You  _ saved _ those kids. The only reason they’re alive is because of you. Even if you may have missed them at the beginning, you still found them. Those kids are alive because of you. Last I heard, they were about to be discharged from the hospital. They interviewed their parents, and they couldn’t stop saying how thankful they were for what you guys did. Now stop being such a punk and just think about all the lives you saved.”

 

The alpha sighed before a slight smile curled up the edges of his lips. “I’m a punk, huh?” he said to break the silence.

 

Bucky smiled back. “Absolutely.”

 

“Well, then,” Steve chuckled. “I’ll try... jerk.”

 

~*~

 

"Steve!"

 

The man turned at the sound of his name, head curiously tilted a fraction to the right. "Clint. What's wrong?"

 

"Nothing, Cap," the other man replied, a lopsided grin on his face. "Tony is looking for you though. He's on the main floor."

 

Steve nodded, lightly clapping the other alpha on the shoulder as he went by. "Thanks for the heads up." He headed for the elevators, hitting the button for the main floor. 

 

It only took a moment for him to reach the floor, but the sight that greeted him was a complete shock. Cameras flashed once he stepped outside the steel doors, loud shouts filling the usually quiet place. 

 

Confusion filled the alpha until he saw Tony standing in the middle of the mess. His quiet beta aroma filtered through the mass of scents filling the space; Steve had never been more thankful for the neutral soft cotton before.

 

"What's going on?" The alpha asked softly in the beta's ear.

 

"Some people wanted to see you," Tony replied. He waved at the cameras as they continued to snap pictures of the pair on their way to the conference room.

 

"Who? Why?" Steve pressed, trying to keep his tone neutral enough.

 

"You'll see." Tony gave him that smirk, the one that said he knew something Steve didn't, the one that the alpha hated, before pulling open the conference room door.

 

When Steve walked inside, he was not expecting what he found. There, sitting at the head of the table, were three small children: two boys and one girl.

 

They were the children Steve had saved in Venice.

 

"Wha-"

 

"Captain America!" The smallest boy chirped, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. He quickly scrambled off the chair he was sitting in, running to meet the man standing dumbfounded just by the door.

 

The other kids quickly ran over as well, excited squeals and the bubbly happiness of the children filled the air. "Uh, h-hi," he said quietly, crouching down to be eye level with the kids. "What are you all doing here?"

 

"We wanted to thank you for saving us," the little girl said, a slight lisp to her words due to a missing front tooth.

 

"Oh, you didn't-"

 

Tony's hand quickly grabbed and squeezed the alpha's shoulder, and the man looked at him curiously for it. The beta shook his head but offered a smile to the parents and children. "I bet Cap's so excited that you all came."

 

"Yeah," Steve continued, tone strained slightly. There was tension pulling at the man's shoulders, keeping him taunt.

 

The little girl giggled and threw her skinny arms around Steve's neck. There was a few seconds of confusion that filled the alpha before his large arms wrapped around the small child.

 

The boys quickly joined in, throwing their skinny little arms around the hulking flesh of the alpha. A flash of bright light told Steve that the media was taking over the tenderness of the emotions, getting every angle of the alpha with the children.

 

Steve went along with the meeting, attention focused on the children for the first half as they talked about being in the hospital and being healed of their injuries. The second the conversation shifted, and the children returned their attention to their parents, Steve's mind began to wander.

 

Bucky filled his thoughts. The words the omega had said when he tried to convince him that what he had done was noble and good. Had tried to convince him that he hadn't harmed the children but saved them.

 

Steve felt a true smile beginning to turn up his lips, and he relaxed in front of the camera as he posed for pictures with the children. He ached to see Bucky and tell him about this meeting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> I hope you all enjoy this next chapter of the story. Let me know what you think!  
> Much love <3

Steve's thoughts were continually plagued by Bucky. Whenever he would settle down and take a second to relax and think, the omega crept back in again. It was terrifying, truthfully, and very telling about the attachment the alpha has already formed, but Steve desperately continued to ignore it.

 

Bucky was just so different than most of the people he’s met so far in this century. He’s warm and caring, always apologizing for any mentions of Captain America, knowing that it made the alpha uncomfortable,  instead of trying to sneak information out of him. Hell, Bucky ignored his work all together unless something was clearly off with the alpha. He’s laid back and kind-hearted. He’s snarky and sarcastic. He’s…  _ perfect _ .

 

No, no, no, no, no. Steve frowned when he realized where his thoughts took him. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself. He  _ couldn’t  _ let himself get lost in a chance. He’s only met Bucky, what? Twice? And so what if he made those same silly butterflies fill up his chest that use to come out with Peggy? So what if he didn’t want to talk about Captain America but was curious about Steve Rogers? So what if Steve’s alpha hindbrain purred at just the thought of the omega? So what if Bucky made him feel alive?

 

He was just lonely, he told himself. Steve sighed and headed to his bedroom, ignoring the little voice in his head that snarked that he had plenty of other people to hang out with if he was “lonely”. He headed directly to his closet, changing into a pair of workout clothes, but when he exited the room, his eyes landed on his gym bag.

 

He stared at it for a moment before making his decision. “Fuck it,” he growled before stalking across the room and grabbing the bag off the floor.

 

It’s been a week since he last saw Bucky. Might as well try.

 

Steve slung the bag over his shoulder before turning on his heel and heading out of the room. On his way out, he slipped into his sneakers and grabbed his keys and wallet. In the elevator, it wasn’t a long journey to the Avengers’ parking garage, and he headed directly to his motorcycle and straddled it.

 

He took off like a shot, ignoring his conscience screaming at him to stop. It was a battle he often had within himself, always afraid he thought too much of the omega. That he was getting ahead of himself. It only quieted when he arrived at the gym. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Bucky, and even as he pounded on the bags for well over an hour, the omega never showed up. 

 

But not seeing the omega didn’t deter the alpha. Instead, Steve started frequenting the gym. It was a stroke of luck that he managed to meet Bucky those first two times. He hoped that maybe by continuing to go, he’d be able to see him once again.

 

For the first few weeks, Steve came to the gym every night, but he only caught Bucky once or twice. He’d always be in the middle of beating a bag when the brunette would just pop up, a smile on his face and shy apologizes about being busy stumbling from his lips.

 

Steve would always wave off the apologizes, teasing Bucky about how he just had to come to dinner with him afterward to make up for it. Bucky never said no.

 

Eventually, they fell into a bit of a rhythm. On Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, Bucky would meet Steve at the gym. They’d spar or train together for a bit; sometimes they’d do their own thing but those days were rare and coincided with Steve’s missions. Afterward, they’d generally go somewhere to eat because Steve insisted that they both “needed protein” after such a vigorous workout.

 

It took two months for Steve to tire of their routine.

 

It was Friday night, and they had just finished sparring. Bucky was getting stronger and stronger, able to keep up for longer without tiring. Now they were sitting on the mats, catching their breath and relaxing. Steve was staring at Bucky, and maybe that was improper of him, but he was distracted by the way beads of sweat ran down the omega temple then his cheek and neck to disappear underneath his shirt.

 

Bucky had blushed when he turned his head and caught Steve staring before nervously tucking a piece of hair behind his ear. Steve had unknowingly done the same thing. The omega was taking a drink from his water bottle when Steve finally spoke up.

 

“Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?”

 

Bucky looked over at him, brows furrowed slightly as he capped the bottle. “Nothing,” he said with a slight shrug.

 

“Do you, uh, wanna… get dinner?” Steve asked, blushing furiously as he stumbled through his words. Dammit, why did he always have to be a stumbling mess around the omega? Bucky stared at the other, shock open on his face, but then a shy smile turned up the corner of his lips.

 

“Stevie,” he said, the nickname rolling off his tongue as it always did and sending a shiver down the mentioned male’s spine, “this isn’t just one of your ‘post-workout protein runs’ is it?”

 

Steve blushed furiously at that, and the brunette’s little smile grew into a smirk. It took a minute of fumbling before the alpha finally seemed to get his brain to mouth function working again. “I… was actually thinking more… like a… date,” he said slowly, looking at the brunette once he was done.

 

Bucky merely smiled wider, playfully knocking his shoulder against the other man’s. “Well,” he started, “took you long enough.” The alpha blushed darker at the teasing tone of the omega’s words, but before he could make a comment, Bucky was speaking again. “I’d be happy to go on a date with you, Stevie.”

 

Steve broke out in a grin, a burst of bright happiness filling the air between them. A wave of hardy pine and fresh citrus swirled around them, and Bucky fought a smile at the joy rolling off the alpha in waves. “Really?” he asked.

 

Bucky chuckled before giving the other a pointed look. “I’ve only been waiting for you to ask me out since the second time we met. You were just takin’ your sweet time.”

 

The alpha blinked before blushing at the other’s words. “I, uh… Was just-”

 

“You don’t have to explain it to me,” Bucky said with a tender look in his eyes. “I’m just givin’ ya a hard time.”

 

Steve nodded, swallowing hard before shifting slightly closer. “But you, uh, wanted to… you know, date, before?”

 

The omega gave a small smile, lightly bumping his shoulder against the alpha’s again. “Yeah, punk. Thought I was pretty obvious with that front.”

 

“Uh, maybe you were,” Steve smiled a little nervously, “I’m just… not used to this.”

 

“That’s okay, Stevie,” Bucky said gently. “We can take as much time as you need.” There was a tenderness in his eyes that Steve had never seen before, and it caused a swarm of butterflies to burst within his chest, flowing up and causing his tongue to tie in knots again. “Now, why don’t we get some tacos at the food truck down by the corner?”

 

The alpha nodded, still not trusting his tongue to work right before pushing himself up and offering a hand to the omega. Bucky went easily, and he bumped his hip against the other’s as he went to go get his gym bag. Steve followed suit and waited eagerly as they went to try out the new food truck.

 

It was only a few minutes to walk, but Steve’s mind was already off in a completely different direction. He was nervous and truthfully had no idea what he was doing. He has never really dated someone before the closest he got was Peggy.

 

He had loved her, yes, and he still missed her to this day. They had never really had a chance; they were kept too busy with the war and HYDRA to go out on an actual date. And the one time she’d kissed him had been a quick press of lips right before entering the plane.

 

The plane that took his life and ruined his date plans.

 

Steve shook the ideas from his mind, not wanting to be clouded by his past. It was difficult, but being around Bucky filled the hole left from his time.

 

Bucky had been the first person he’d been interested in since waking up in the twenty-first century. He made the same silly butterflies rise in his gut that Peggy had always brought along. His smile caused Steve to smile, and his laugh was absolutely infectious. Steve always found himself counting down the minutes until he’d be able to see Bucky again.

 

He really just wanted their date to go over well.

 

“Stevie, what do you want?” Bucky’s voice brought the man out of his thoughts, and he quickly blinked his eyes before meeting the omega’s. There was curiosity shining bright behind those orbs, and the alpha quickly looked at the menu before speaking.

 

“Two Jamaican chicken tacos and a Gatrodade please,” he said with a nervous smile. The man nodded before jotting it down on a piece of paper. Steve reached into his bag to fish out his wallet, but Bucky beat him, handing over the cash for their meal.

 

“You didn’t have to,” Steve said quickly, hand awkwardly holding onto his worn leather wallet.

 

“I know,” the omega smiled, “but I wanted to.”

 

They stepped away from the front, allowing others to order, and the omega gently poked the man beside him. “Where’s your head at?” he asked quietly.

 

Steve glanced at him, furrow coming in between his brows before he realized what the other meant. Of course, Bucky could tell something was wrong with him. “I just… I…” He swallowed, looking away for a moment before returning his gaze to the omega. “I just want our date to go well.”

 

Bucky hummed softly before shifting closer, letting his shoulder lean into the other man’s. “Then stop overthinking it,” he replied, copying the other’s softer tone.

 

“I know. I just-”

 

“Trust me, Steve,” Bucky said with a gentle smile. “You gotta trust me.”

 

“I do trust you. It’s ju-”

 

“Bucky!”

 

“One sec, Stevie,” Bucky said before slipping away and grabbing their food. With his arms full of tacos and drinks, the omega led the way to a quiet bench. They sat down before Bucky passed over Steve’s food, and they began eating in relative silence.

 

It was about halfway into his taco that Bucky spoke again. “So what exactly has you so nervous?”

 

Steve swallowed down his bite before speaking. “I… I’ve never really… been on a date before.” The alpha in him whined at the damage to his pride, and he sat there nervously and waited for the other’s response, assuming he’d laugh or make fun.

 

“Ah,” Bucky said, and Steve could hear the smile in his words. He mentally prepared himself for the laughter, but it never came. “Stevie, do you really think I would judge you about that?”

 

Steve looked up, meeting the omega’s gaze, and suddenly he realized how stupid that idea was. Why would Bucky laugh at him? He’s never given him a reason to believe he would. “Uh…”

 

“It’s okay,” Bucky continued with a tender smile. “You’re nervous. That’s understandable, but if you think too much of it, you won’t enjoy it. Just think of it like any of these workout food runs.”

 

“But it’s different than that,” Steve argued, a frown settling on his face.

 

“It may be, but it’s not like you’re meeting with the Queen either.” Bucky gave him a look before a smile turned up the corner of his lips. “It’s just little old me.”

 

Steve chuckled. “You’re hardly old when compared to me.”

 

“You’re right,” Bucky laughed. “Maybe I shouldn’t go on a date with such an old man.”

 

The alpha burst into a bout of laughter. “Wow. Ouch,” he said while laughing. Bucky grinned widely as the other finally seemed to break out of his own thoughts.

 

“Yeah, but I guess I’ll go out with him anyway,” he teased.

 

“Oh, will you now?”

 

“Mhm!” Bucky smiled, leaning over and knocking shoulders with the alpha. “I’ll give him a chance.”

 

“Okay, good,” he smiled, returning the bump with a light one of his own.

 

They each went back took another bite of their food. “Now,” Bucky said around a mouthful of a fried fish taco, “are you a little more relaxed about it?”

 

Steve snorted before rumbling around his own bite. “Don’t speak with your mouthful.”

 

“Says you,” Bucky replied after he swallowed.

 

“Says every mother in the world,” Steve pointed out, swallowing his own bite. That got a chuckle out of the omega, and a smile from the alpha. “But yes,” he agreed. “I do feel better.”

 

“Good,” Bucky chirped before holding out his hand. “Hand?” he asked.

 

“Hand?” Steve questioned to which the omega merely hummed as he began searching through his bag.

 

Steve held out his left hand, and the omega immediately seized it. Pulling a pen from his backpack, Bucky smiled as he wrote on the pale skin. “This is my favorite restaurant. Why don’t we go there?”

 

“Okay,” Steve agreed, fighting the smile that was beginning to turn up the corners of his lips. “What time?”

 

“Six,” the omega smiled. Steve nodded and watched as he scribbled something else beneath the text. “My number,” he said with a mischievous hint to his smile. “Text me? Or call me, if that’s better for you.”

 

With a soft chuckle, the alpha nodded. “Of course.”

 

Bucky capped his pen and placed it into his backpack again before they returned to their meals, finishing off the rest of their tacos and tossing their trash away. “Oh, thank you, by the way."

 

"For what? Saying yes?" The omega teased.

 

Steve stayed silent for a moment before raising his gaze and offering the other a slight smile. "For what you said a couple weeks back. You know, about the kids."

 

Bucky's lips turned up into a smirk. "Oh?"

 

The alpha chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system."

 

A chuckle rumbled from Bucky's chest. "I saw it on the news. You're cute with kids." Steve chuckled again, shaking his head. "And," the omega said with a cheeky grin, "I told you so."

 

Steve didn't even have time to respond.

 

"I gotta get going," Bucky said before he stretched up onto his tiptoes and pressed a feather-light kiss to his cheek. “See you tomorrow, Stevie,” he said with a smile, turning and beginning to head in the direction Steve knew to be his home.

 

“See you,” he said softly as he watched the other leave, a smile lighting his entire face up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! I hope you like the newest chapter as we finally get to see these two interacting in a more romantic way. Let me know what you think. I’ll include the Russian translation for the conversation here as well. If anything is incorrect, I apologize. I had to use Google Translate ^^;
> 
> Svetlana: Dobryy vecher! (Good evening!)  
> Svetlana: O, ty privel ochen' krasivogo muzhchinu. Eto tvoy drug Dzheyms? (Oh, you brought a very handsome man. Is this your mate, James?)  
> Bucky: Akh, babushka! Vy ne dolzhny govorit' takiye veshchi! (Ah, grandmother! You shouldn’t say such things!)  
> Bucky: Krome togo ... eto tol'ko nashe pervoye svidaniye. (Besides… It’s only our first date.)  
> Svetlana: O, ya tak rada za tebya, dorogaya. Pozvol'te mne prinesti vam nekotoryye iz moikh spetsial'nykh pel'meney, (Oh, I'm so happy for you, dear. Let me bring you some of my special dumplings.)  
> Sofia: prositel’ (Suitor)  
> Sofia: Vy vybrali khoroshiy, Dzheyms. Babushka budet ochen' schastliva (You chose good, James. Grandmother will be proud.)

Steve was, for lack of a better word, a mess.

 

He had looked up the restaurant he had agreed to go to and had texted Bucky to confirm their date. Now, he was standing in front of his closet, trying desperately to find something to wear. Everything he put on seemed too casual or too fancy. It didn’t help that he couldn’t tell how fancy the restaurant Bucky picked was from the pictures online.

 

He had never understood the issues that Natasha and Clint would complain about, but now,  _ now _ he does. He had never had a problem with his clothes, not even when he was ninety pounds soaking wet and clothes practically fell off of his wiry frame. Nothing could compare to the struggle of today.

 

He finally settled for his favorite jeans and boots after  _ several  _ moments of debating. Then he threw on a dark blue button-up, a nice one, but not one of his tight ones because he could practically hear both his mother  _ and  _ Sam scolding him for it) and his brown leather jacket. 

 

“Fuck!” Steve cursed loudly after checking his watch and finding he had only thirty-three minutes to get to the restaurant all the way on the other side of the city. He all but ran out of the room, screeching to a stop to grab his keys and wallet before he sped out.

 

He hopped on his bike and flew through the streets on the way to the restaurant, taking a few too-close turns and going nearly double what he should have been doing. But thankfully, Steve still managed to get there with five minutes to spare.

 

He walked into the restaurant and was immediately hit with the scent of yeast, meat, and spices; all of which surrounded him and brought a hunger up from deep within his gut.  Before he even looked for someone to find a table, a petite blonde had bounced up to him, the pink streaks in her hair shining in the warm yellow light. “Are you Steve?” she asked. The alpha immediately tensed. Of course, people would recognize him. How stupid had he been to think people wouldn’t recognize him? Maybe he should have picked the place. He really didn’t want this all over the news…

 

“Uh… Yeah,” he said softly, sliding his hands into his back pockets nervously.

 

“Perfect!” the girl chirped, smiling widely. “Bucky’s already waiting for you, let me bring you to him.”

 

Steve blinked in confusion before following the girl to a table in the back of the large room that was mostly hidden from view. Hell, Steve hadn’t seen it from the door at all. The sight awaiting him nearly caused him to stop dead in his tracks.

 

Bucky was sitting at the table, facing the door, which meant Steve’s back would be to a majority of the room (something he hadn’t even thought of but of course Bucky did, why did Steve doubt him?). But the omega was absolutely breathtaking. Instead of messy, sweaty hair, Bucky had his short hair ruffled slightly and his bangs swept to the side. A small piece still managed to fall from the meticulous waves against his forehead and hang near his beautiful blue-gray eyes. He was in an oversized white sweater pushed up to his elbows, and when he caught sight of Steve, he broke into a massive smile.

 

“Stevie,” he said when the alpha was in earshot, quickly standing. Tight faded jeans clung to his legs bringing forth the curves the alpha knew so well. "Early as ever."

 

“So are you,” Steve said with a grin, pulling the omega into a hug. His scent, for once not masked by the heavy tone of sweat and leather, was absolutely enchanting. The mix of spices and fruit reminded Steve of the mulled cider Tony tended to pass out at the holiday parties, and it wrapped around Steve like a blanket. There was a lingering of something, something so distinctly  _ home _ that Steve had to fight every instinct to bury his nose in Bucky’s neck and take in the scent directly from the gland.  

 

Their hug didn’t last very long (not nearly long enough, Steve thought) - only a handful of seconds, but it still left the alpha tingling. “You look beautiful,” Steve said softly, walking the omega to his spot.

 

Bucky’s cheeks got that pale pink dusting again, but he allowed Steve to pull out his chair and even move it in for him once he sat himself down. Only when Steve was sitting on the other side of him did the omega speak again. “You clean up pretty good yourself, you know,” he grinned.

 

Steve’s own cheeks pinked slightly as he rested his elbows on the table. “ Why thank you. Now where did you find this place?” he asked, looking around the room and taking in the soft lighting and warmth. 

 

The walls were half covered in burgundy wood, and the upper portion was painted a creamy yellow color, and the lights covered the space in a warm glow, adding to the overall cozy and intimate feel. Honestly, Steve felt as though he was transported back in time and had walked into his grandmother’s home.

 

“It’s… It’s my parents’ favorite place,” Bucky said softly, fiddling with his water glass. “They use to bring us here a lot because it reminded Ma of home.”

 

Steve’s brows furrowed as he returned his attention to the omega. “Home?” 

 

Bucky smiled shyly up at the alpha, running his finger along the rim of his water glass. “Ma - my mum, sorry - is originally from Russia. My grandparents moved here with her when she was about twelve. Mum always wanted to go back, but we never really had the money to get all the way there, especially for all six of us, but my dad had found this restaurant when they were dating and brought her here in hopes that it would remind her of home, and, of course, it did, so they’ve been coming here ever since, and they brought us here even though us kids didn’t truly comprehend its meaning because we’ve never been to Russia, but it still always felt like home, and I wanted to bring you here too, and oh my god, I’m rambling. I’m so sorry,” he finished quickly, cheeks flaring bright red.

 

Steve chuckled at the rambling, finding it to be endearing and adorable. His heart did that little flip that it did when he thought about Bucky, and it brought a soft smile to his lips. He gently squeezed the other’s hand; “Buck…” he started, tone soft and sweet, “don’t apologize. I want to learn about it. Really.”

 

Bucky nodded slightly, rubbing his cheek with a hand, almost as if he was trying to rub the flush off his cheeks. Steve didn’t notice the woman who entered the room before she spoke, startling them apart. “Dobryy vecher!” she greeted Bucky, who was smiling widely and even stood to give the woman a hug. She only came to Bucky’s shoulder, and her white hair was tied up in a tight bun at the back of her head. She had a similar warmth to her smile as the restaurant. They conversed for a moment in Russian that much Steve could tell from listening to Wanda and Natasha, but what they were saying was lost to the alpha.

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Bucky said, gently resting his hand on Steve’s bicep before continuing in English, “Babushka, this is Steve. Steve, this is Svetlana.”

 

“Babushka, Babushka,” the older woman scolded softly before turning and smiling at Steve. “ O, ty privel ochen' krasivogo muzhchinu. Eto tvoy drug Dzheyms? ” she asked, turning to look at the omega.

 

Steve had no idea what was said, but Bucky’s cheeks lit up in a dark blush. “Akh, babushka! Vy ne dolzhny govorit' takiye veshchi!” His cheeks were still burning, but Svetlana’s eyes gained a little mischievous glint. “Krome togo ... eto tol'ko nashe pervoye svidaniye.”

 

Svetlana absolutely beamed at whatever Bucky said before clapping her small hands together. “O, ya tak rada za tebya, dorogaya. Pozvol'te mne prinesti vam nekotoryye iz moikh spetsial'nykh pel'meney,” she said quickly, smiling widely before patting Bucky’s hand between her small, wrinkled ones.

 

Bucky offered her a smile before nodding, and the elderly woman was off as he sat back down. “I’m sorry about that,” he said, smiling nervously at Steve. “It’s been a little while since I’ve visited.”

 

Steve merely waved it off. “You know, if you keep apologizing, I might just have to find a way to keep you quiet,” he teased before he could even register the words. He watched as Bucky’s cheeks returned to pink, and while he wanted to curse himself out for being so forward, he couldn’t really be that upset if that was the reaction he received. Quickly, though, he changed the subject. "So, what did you talk about? You seemed pretty… shy.”

 

With a small shy chuckle, Bucky took a sip of his water. “She just loves meeting new people is all.”

 

Steve raised a brow. “That seemed more than just excitement for someone new,” he teased. “What did you really say?”

 

The warmth in Bucky’s cheek began to run down his neck, and he mumbled into the water glass. “What was that?” Steve grinned.

 

“She just asked me who you were, that’s all,” the omega said, clearing his throat and leveling the other with a look.

 

Steve decided to let it go since Bucky appeared to only be getting redder, and he looked down at the menu. “So what’s good here?”

 

Bucky merely scoffed softly, blush beginning to wear down. “What isn’t?” he grinned at the other. “Everything here is delicious. Honestly, you could order the whole menu, and you wouldn’t be disappointed at all.”

 

“Really?” Steve asked, humming softly. They both fell silent for a moment as they looked at the menu, one reading to get a feel for the food and one merely looking at the pages. After another minute, the girl with the pink streaks in her hair came up to their table, smiling widely.

 

She set down two large glass tankards filled to the brim with a ginger liquid. Bucky opened his mouth to say something, but the girl merely winked at him with a smile. “It’s from Babushka. She insisted that you and your  _ prositel’ _ have some. On the house. Your pelmeni is cooking also.”

 

Bucky merely huffed softly, picking up the drink and taking a sip. Steve raised a brow at that before looking at the drink. “Is it beer?” he asked.

 

The girl laughed at that. “Not… one hundred percent. It depends on who you ask. It’s not considered alcoholic though usually,” she said with a small shrug as if she was asked the question often. Steve hummed before picking up the tankard and taking a sip. It was certainly more bitter and sour than beer, but he actually found it more enjoyable after another sip. “Now, have you decided what you’d like to eat? Do you just want your usual, James?” she asked kindly.

 

“Yes, please,” Bucky replied, smiling at the girl before handing over his menu. She nodded and turned to Steve, who was still looking at the menu curiously before he raised his eyes and met hers.

 

“I think we’ll take one of everything,” he said, smiling and handing over his menu.

 

The girl looked at him with wide eyes, and Bucky squeaked before hitting him on the arm. “Steve! What are you doing?”

 

“You said I could order the entire menu and not be disappointed, so I’m taking you up on it,” he grinned, winking at the omega. “It won’t be too much work though, right?” he asked the girl, a nervous frown twisting his lips down.

 

“No, you should be fine,” the girl giggled. Bucky’s cheeks turned red again, and he shook his head as the girl gave him a wicked smirk. “Vy vybrali khoroshiy, Dzheyms. Babushka budet ochen' schastliva,” she said, grinning at Bucky before disappearing.

 

“You’re unbelievable,” Bucky said, looking at the alpha with a small smile.

 

Steve shrugged before leaning forward, resting his elbows on the tabletop. “Yeah? Well, you better get used to it.”

 

“Oh? You thinkin’ you gonna get another date outta me already?” Bucky grinned, mimicking the alpha’s posture with a raised brow.

 

Now it was Steve’s turn to grow pink, but he smiled at the other, wide and unbothered something that was pretty common around Bucky, before giving a little shrug. “Maybe.”

 

~*~

 

It was a couple of hours later that the pair stumbled out of the restaurant absolutely stuffed to the brim. “Oh, that food was delicious!” Steve laughed, arm wrapped snugly around the omega’s waist.

 

Bucky giggled from his place, lighting pinching the alpha’s side. “I told you so!”

 

Steve nodded, walking towards his bike. “You did, you did,” he agreed. When they arrived at his ride, Bucky carefully untangled himself from the alpha’s warmth much to Steve’s dismay. “Um…” Steve started after a beat. “Can I give you a ride back to your place?”

 

Bucky chewed on his bottom lip, something Steve had learned in their time together as something the omega did when he was thinking. “I… I don’t have to, of course,” the alpha began before Bucky spoke.

 

“No, I… I’d really like that,” he said with a smile. “Do you have a helmet I could borrow though?”

 

Steve nodded with a grin, unstrapping his helmet from the side bag and handing it to the other. As Bucky pulled it on, Steve straddled the bike and started the engine. “Don’t you have one?” Bucky asked as he approached.

 

“Yeah, but you’re wearin’ it,” the alpha chuckled before patting the seat behind him. “I’ll be fine, promise. Don’t even usually wear it.” The omega frowned at that, and Steve merely smiled shyly at the mistake he admitted to. “I promise I’ll be safe.”

 

“You better,” Bucky started before looking at the bike. “So, do I just climb on?”

 

“Yeah, just like I did, but you gotta wrap your arms around my waist and hold on tight.”

 

“Oh,” Bucky started, slinging one of his long legs over the leather, only stumbling a little, “you just wanted me to spoon ya, huh?”

 

Steve laughed, and he was glad for once that Bucky couldn’t see the red rising on his ears. “Somethin’ like that.” He heard a small laugh before a pair of arms wrapped tight around his waist and a small body was pressed against his back.

 

“Like this?” the omega asked, and Steve could practically hear the mischievous smile in the other’s voice.

 

“Just like that.” When they were both comfortable, Steve kicked out the stand. “You’ll have to give me directions, you know,” he told the omega.

 

“I know,” was the reply before Bucky made a noise as they peeled out of the parking spot, his grip suddenly tightening.

 

“I told you to hold on tight,” Steve teased, yelling over the engine.

 

“I am!” Bucky protested, yelling to be heard, before a laugh left him after a sharp turn. “Dear God, if my mother could see me now…” he trailed off in another laugh, squeezing Steve tight and bringing a smile to the alpha’s face.

 

~*~

 

It was only fifteen minutes to Bucky’s apartment, and when Steve stopped in front of the tall, grey building, he admitted to himself just how sad he was to have already arrived. There was nothing particularly interesting about the outside of the worn bricks apart from some ivy climbing up the right half, but Steve felt a wave of familiarity rise at the sight. As Steve put the stand down, Bucky stood up and pulled the helmet off to reveal his now messy hair, causing the alpha to laugh softly.

 

“Is it that bad?” the omega huffed, reaching up to blindly fix the mess.

 

“It’s cute,” Steve said as he stood and reached up, fixing one of the obviously misplaced pieces.

 

A faint pink dusted across Bucky’s cheeks, and Steve smiled down at the shorter male. “Thank you,” he said, looking at his shoes before smiling up at the alpha. Steve swallowed down the urge to pull the smaller into a kiss, instead merely nodding.

 

“I had a lot of fun tonight.” He said, watching as Bucky’s smile grew while he nodded in agreement.

 

“I did too. We should… do this again sometime,” he said, handing the helmet back to the owner.

 

“We should,” Steve agreed. They stood there for a beat before Bucky shook his head and chuckled.

 

“You gonna kiss me goodnight, punk?” Steve smiled widely at the permission before bridging the gap between them to press his lips against the other’s. Once they’re lips met, butterflies seemed to expand and take up every square inch of his torso. The kiss stayed soft and sweet, a smooth press of warmth that tangling with the butterflies to spread throughout the alpha. When they pulled apart, Steve’s lips were still tingling, and he felt as though his center of balance was off. He was so lost in the moment that he couldn’t help but steal a few smaller pecks.

 

Bucky only chuckled and returned every kiss, lips a beautiful rosy color when they finally pulled away. “Goodnight, Stevie,” the omega smiled, reaching out to adjust the other’s jacket. “See you tomorrow at the gym?”

 

Steve nodded eagerly, smiling wide to the point his cheeks ached, but he hardly cared. “Wouldn’t miss it. Dinner afterward?”

 

With a small grin, Bucky hummed. “Maybe if you’re good,” he teased, stretching up on his toes to steal another kiss that Steve happily gave. After they parted this time, Bucky stepped back, waving at the other. “See you tomorrow.”

 

“See you,” Steve agreed as he watched the other climb the stairs and disappear into the building. When Bucky was gone, he sat on his bike, staring at the building and just waiting for the butterflies to calm down.

 

He remembered what it was like kissing Peggy the one time they had and the one time with Natasha that he did  _ not _ talk about. There was never remotely as much intensity as there had been kissing Bucky. Of course, he’s enjoyed kissing Peggy, and it had left him feeling happy and warm when he was about to run into the depth of a warzone, but kissing Bucky… was exhilarating. Filling him to the brim with adrenline and making him feel as though he could accomplish anything.

 

He sighed softly before slinging his leg over the bike. He took one last look up at the building, having no idea which window belonged to Bucky but hoping to catch one last glance at the man. After a moment, he nodded to himself and started the bike. He stashed the helmet away in the side pocket, his smile returning as he headed for the tower.


End file.
